Who Should Read This?
- eCommerce Managers & Heads of Digital
- Marketing Managers & Campaign Leads
- Brand & Content Managers
- DTC Founders & Retail Owners
- Online Merchandisers
- UX, CX & CRO Specialists
Why Should You Read This?
- Learn how to turn trust into revenue
- Understand how to use practical examples to drive sales
- Discover how to reduce buyer hesitation so more visitors become customers
- Use stronger marketing techniques to stand out in crowded markets
When signing in to social media or browsing the web, it’s becoming more and more frequent to see marketing messages and paid advertisements from businesses all across the globe. But with so many companies screaming “Buy Now!” Who can you actually trust?
Consumers are far more likely to buy when they can see that others have already done so, especially if they have had a good experience. This is due to a psychological phenomenon called Social Proof. Read on to learn more about social proof and how you can use it as a powerful marketing tool for your business.
🧠What is Social Proof and How Does it Work?
Social proof is where people look to the actions and opinions of others to decide what to do. When shoppers see that a product is popular, highly rated, or endorsed by people they admire, it reduces uncertainty and increases confidence in their purchase decision.
In simple terms: If others trust you, potential new customers are more likely to trust you too.
When shopping in a physical store, consumers can see multiple products all in one place. They can pick them up, review from all angles, compare against others, and then select the best item before heading to the checkouts. They can also be influenced to buy a product if it appears to be popular. For example, if lots of people have that item in their basket or if the shelves are almost empty. The problem is: You can’t see any of this when shopping online – or can you?
5️⃣⭐Trust the Reviews
Product reviews are one of the strongest forms of social proof. A product with dozens of honest reviews feels safer and more trustworthy than one with none. Try not to be afraid of a couple of negative reviews as they make the positive ones feel more real. They are also an opportunity for you to demonstrate your customer service – how you respond to bad reviews and deal with poor customer experiences often goes a long way.
However, many happy customers won’t leave reviews unless you ask. Prioritise simple follow-up emails, small incentives, or a quick in-app prompt as this can dramatically increase your review count.
The easier you make it, the more likely people are to share their experience.
💪The Power of Social Proof in eCommerce
Buying online comes with risk. Customers can’t touch the product, talk to a salesperson face to face, or see how it works in real life. Social proof bridges that gap by providing reassurance. It answers questions like:
- “Is this product actually good?”
- “Has anyone else bought this?”
- “Will I be wasting my money?”
- “What is this company’s customer service like – when will I receive my order and will I be able to return it easily if I need to?”
When those questions are answered through reviews, testimonials, or visible customer activity, hesitation drops and conversions rise.
💡For businesses who use WooCommerce, be sure to utilise their social proof plugins! These plugins provide tools to boost your store’s conversion and credibility. Some good plugin options include:
- Fomo – Its intelligent feature tests over 10 billion data points on your online store like recent orders and customer location every hour. It then uses this to generate and display real-time social proof notifications on your storefront, such as low stock alerts, countdown timers and live viewer counts. These create a sense of urgency and help drive conversions without much difficulty.
- Proof – Sends push notifications like real-time sales notifications and low stock alerts to your customers so that they can turn them into paying buyers to increase your sales quickly.
- Provely – It has a library of different eye-catching popup templates and colour options to attract the gaze of your customers easily.
- TrustPulse – Has a smart targeting feature that allows you to control exactly when, where, and to whom your social proof notifications are displayed. This helps to show your site to the right people at the right time to increase visitors
(https://www.wookeeper.com/best-woocommerce-social-proof-plugins/)
💡Integrating well known third party review systems like TrustPilot and Feefo are another great option to build trust in your business. There are also various widgets available from all review providers, so no matter what platform your website is built on you can show real verified customer reviews – some including picture and videos
😎Be Influenced
When someone your audience already trusts recommends your product, it carries enormous weight. Even micro-influencers with smaller followings can provide powerful validation.
Be sure to look for influencers whose audience already matches your ideal customer. For example, If you sell fitness supplements, a strength coach with a small but loyal audience is far more valuable than a generic lifestyle influencer with 500,000 random followers.
Authentic Proof 🤝 Increased Sales
Photos, videos, or social posts created by your customers show real people using your product in the real world. This kind of user-generated content feels authentic and relatable, making it incredibly influential.
Short stories from satisfied customers will help potential buyers imagine their own success. A testimonial that explains how your product solved a real problem is far more persuasive than generic praise. As mentioned above, be sure to utilise third party sites like TrustPilot and Feefo to show unbiased reviews from real people
Final Thoughts
Social proof works because it taps into human nature; we trust people who are like us. By showing real experiences, real results, and real enthusiasm from your customers, you remove doubt and build confidence in your brand.
When done right, social proof doesn’t just increase sales. It creates a cycle where happy customers attract more customers, turning trust into one of your most valuable business assets.
At CDA, we exist to provide a human touch to your website and eCommerce strategy. Not sure where to begin? We can help. Get in touch here.
